Celtics Rumors: Chauncey Billups, Darvin Ham, Ime Udoka Among HC Candidates

The Boston Celtics are seeking permission to speak with Chauncey Billups, Darvin Ham, Charles Lee, Jamahl Mosley and Ime Udoka for their head-coaching vacancy, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Brad Stevens is looking for his replacement in the role after moving up to Boston's front office as the president of basketball operations.

Billups has the biggest pedigree as a player. He was a five-time All-Star and a key member of the Detroit Pistons' 2004 championship-winning squad. The 44-year-old is working on the Los Angeles Clippers' staff.

Ham has made multiple stops during his NBA coaching career and works alongside Lee with the Milwaukee Bucks. Mosley (Dallas Mavericks) and Udoka (Brooklyn Nets) are employed on NBA staffs as well.

While this probably doesn't represent the entirety of the Celtics' coaching search, the five candidates could offer a hint as to Stevens' priorities.

Ham is the oldest of the five at 47 and Lee is the youngest at 36. The quintet are all fairly young in NBA coaching terms, and none of the them has worked as an NBA head coach before.

Age and experience may not be prerequisites to get the gig. That's somewhat surprising if only because expectations will probably be pretty high for whoever takes over.

Stevens was a 37-year-old college coach when he joined the organization in 2013, but the Celtics were starting over at that point after trading Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Brooklyn Nets. They could afford to let him learn on the job.

This time around, Boston has two young stars in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown and a desire to contend. The kind of runway Stevens had might not be there.

But he and the Celtics ownership may be willing to take the risk on a coach who could plausibly spend a decade or more on the sideline.